Nedved among the cuts

Update, 11:48 a.m.:Â Artem Anisimov, Greg Moore, Dale Weise, and Thomas Pock are among those players reassigned.In fact, let’s go with the 26 players who are still here, including the new lines they’re practicing in (note Chris Drury at wing):Naslund-Gomez-Drury

So that leaves the Rangers with 15 forwards, eight defense, and three goalies. They need to get to 24 for Prague, and then down to 23 when they return to the States (presumably, Wiikman will go down after the Prague trip). Count on them cutting one more forward, and at least one but possibly two defensemen.

I’m not sure what to read into the Prucha, Sjostrom and Fritsche line, but all of those players could be the ones on the bubble. But that’s just speculation at this point.

Earlier: So much for Petr Nedved at least making the trip to Europe. The 36-year-old center was among those given the pink slip before today’s practice.

It looks like Greg Moore, Artem Anisimov were also reassigned.

“I told him this summer we had a lot of young guys and we have only so many spots,” Glen Sather told me just now. “Plus, there’s a cap issue to deal with. I thought he played well. I just knew what we’d be up against. But I didn’t want to not give him the opportunity.”

I asked Sather how much the play of Lauri Korpikoski impacted the decision.

“It had a lot to do with it,” Sather said. “And Callahan can play center, too. So we have a surplus of center icemen.”

The lead hockey and golf writer for The Journal News and LoHud.com, Sam Weinman, 33, has placed among the top three in the Golf Writers Association of America writing contest in three consecutive years, including a first-place finish in 2004. In 2005, his golf coverage also led to a top-five finish in The Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest, his third such finish in the past five years.
A native of Rye and an avid hockey player since he was 5 years old, Weinman is a 1996 graduate of the University of New Hampshire.
He lives in Port Chester with his wife, Lisa, and sons Charlie and Will.